TEXTURE: Official launch of the project with a kick-off meeting

The project with the acronym “TEXTURE” and the title “Promotion of circular economy and more responsible consuming through Textile Repair Centres and Community involvement activities” has officially started its implementation.

The project’s kick-off meeting will take place on 4 September 2026 (Friday) from 10:00 to 14:00 at the premises of the Municipality of Nestos (Premetis, 64200 Chrysoupoli, Greece), with the participation of the project partners, officially launching their cross-border cooperation and coordinating the initial steps of the project implementation.

With a total budget of €2,179,471.12, the project “TEXTURE” brings together project partners from the Programme’s cross-border area, with the Municipality of Nestos (GR) acting as Lead Beneficiary (LB). The partnership also includes the Municipality of Hadzidimovo (BG), the Association for textile recycling (BG) and the Regional Association of solid waste management agencies of Central Macedonia (GR).

The project aims to promote the circular economy and more responsible consumption of textile products through prevention, reuse and repair of textile products, while strengthening cross-border cooperation and community involvement.

The main cross-border activities include the establishment of Textile Repair Centres in Greece and Bulgaria, the operation of an Eco-Mobile Training Centre for schools and remote communities, the development of a multilingual Eco-Footprint mobile application, as well as educational activities, awareness campaigns and joint capacity-building initiatives. These activities aim to encourage sustainable practices in the textile sector, reduce textile waste and support long-term changes towards more responsible consumption.

In Greece, the Municipality of Nestos will establish a Textile Repair Centre in the municipal community of Makrychori, while in Bulgaria the Municipality of Hadzhidimovo will establish a Textile Repair and Reuse Centre. The centres will provide opportunities for practical training, repair and reuse activities, as well as public awareness-raising. The Association for Textile Recycling (Bulgaria) will contribute its expertise in textile recycling and reuse, supporting the promotion of sustainable practices and the reduction of textile waste. The Regional Association of Solid Waste Management Agencies of Central Macedonia (Greece) will contribute its expertise in waste management, supporting technical activities, awareness-raising and the transfer of know-how on circular economy practices.

The kick-off meeting will provide an opportunity for the partners to discuss the project implementation framework, coordinate responsibilities and activities, and establish the basis for effective cooperation throughout the 24-month implementation period.

To ensure the successful management of the partnership and the project completion, the first meeting of the Joint Management Team (JMT) will take place during the kick-off meeting. The JMT, comprising the LB and representatives of each PB, will be responsible for monitoring the project implementation. The JMT will have the authority to assign specific tasks or responsibilities to sub-committees or working groups as it deems appropriate to establish. The project partnership agrees to operate in accordance with the full set of Rules of Procedures, which will be presented and approved at project level during the first JMT meeting.

Furthermore, during the kick-off meeting, the JMT will present and evaluate the progress made to date regarding the fulfilment of each partner’s contractual obligations—specifically concerning the definition and achievement of milestones, the approved binding start-up schedule, the procurement/tendering/contracting plan, and the associated procedures. The evaluation will focus on the first nine (9) months of implementation, identifying the key milestones to be achieved at the project level during this period.

Through joint activities, the project “TEXTURE” will contribute to a more circular and sustainable approach to textile products, supporting the reduction of textile waste and encouraging citizens and local communities to adopt more responsible consumption and reuse practices.

The project “TEXTURE” is implemented under Priority “PR1: A more Resilient and Greener Greece-Bulgaria Cross Border Territory” and Specific Objective “RSO 2.6 Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy” of the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Interreg VI-A “Greece-Bulgaria 2021-2027” and was approved under the 1^st Call for Common projects. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and by national funds of the countries participating in the Interreg VI-A “Greece-Bulgaria 2021-2027” Cross-Border Cooperation Programme.